Softening machine



F. M. FURBER. SOFTENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l. 191s.

1,409, 1 64. Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. FURBER, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE kJSGIACI-l:INEJELY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A

N EW JERSEY.

CORPORATION OF SOFTEN IN G- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Mar. 14, 15H22.

Application led May 1, 1918. Serial No. 231,946.

Revere, in the county of Suffolk and State4 of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Softening Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several fi gures. Y

.This invention relates to machines used for softening portions of boots and shoes preparatory to the lasting operations, and in particular to that type 'of such machine wherein the softening agent used is steamor moist water vapor. Difficulty has been experienced with these machines in that some shoes, depending upon the kind, of

leather, are damaged in them by burning which means an injury due to too long exposure to a temperature which is `too high. These machines are built to hold several shoes which are removed in turn (and others then substituted) and subjected to a lasting operation. It is therefore desirable that the machine be adjusted so as to treat properly a shoe in an integral multiple of the time required to perform the operation mentioned. Furthermore, in case the operator has unexpected trouble with the shoe being lasted, the shoes in the softening machine remain there longer than usual. Manyshoes are liable to injury from this cause, as some kinds of leather, for example chrome leather, which will stand a certain temperature safely for a certain period willbe badly damaged if the period be substantiallyv increased.

In view of these and other conditions, efforts havebeen made to lower the temperature of the steam orvapor used in order to offset an extra long period of exposure. lt is a principal object Vof my invention to provide a softener so organized as .to insure that the steam or vapor used will be supplied at a temperature which willnot injure the shoe materials, even if the materials for any cause are subjected to it for. relatively long periods. i

VSaturated diy steam at atmospheric'pressure has a temperature of about 212 F. It is-unwise to expose leather to this temperature for a long. time. It is impracticable to obtain drysaturated steam at a lower temperaturev than this by any direct means, as its pressure would be below atmospheric pressure. I have solvedthe problem by providing an apparatus that utilizes steam having a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, that reduces the pressure at` a point remote from the work, and that reduces the temperature of the steam lwhile conducting it from the point of pressurereduction to the work through conducting means having' a conducting capacity and heat-reducing proportions both of which are substantially greater than those 0f the conduit by which the steam is vconducted to th point of pressure reduction.

An limportant feature of the invention is therefore a novel organization of shoe treating means, remote vapor controlling means, and means for conducting the vapor to the treating means and arranged to reduce the pressure and temperature of the vapor in passage. In the illustrated organization, the means f or conducting the vapor to the treating means provides for depriving the vapor of a substantial quantity of heat during its passage by a construction and arrangement characterized by a heat radiating surface in direct contact with the free atmosphere and of relatively great area compared to the volume of vapor and to distance trarersed through the conducting means.

These and other features of the invention, comprising various combinations and arrangements of parts, will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of'illustrationand shown in the drawings in which:-

F ig. -1 shows a front elevation of the apparatus; and Y F ig. 2 shows a side elevation thereof.

The. illustrated machine comprises a hollow base 10 arranged to contain water. An inlet pipe and valve 12 supply steam to the base, and an overiiow pipe 14C, having its mouth at a higher level than that of the inlet pipe, maintains a body of water into which the entering steam is emitted, but the overflow pipe limits the accumulation of water. The steam which bubbles through the water and that which is formed from the boiling water in the base will therefore be saturatedor Wet and may carry liquid water particles in it. Even ifvthe pressure and temperature in the pipe 12 be above atmospheric pressure and 212 F. respectively,

" to avoid damage by rust.

they will be reduced to these degrees as the steam bubbles through the water in the Y base .10.

The shoe is held fon a support LG fastened to the side of a treating` chamber 1S, and hasn its toe projecting into the chamber. The toeof' the shoe restson a wooden plate 20, The chamber is connected with the baseby a numberv of pipes 22 and the base and chamber are clamped* onV the pipes byv turnbuclzles 2a.- The pipes are made suiiiciently small tov Y have asupercial area large as compared with their internal capacity in order to facilitate the escape of heat from 4the Isteam. Yrising through themf 1 have ilound itadvisable to reduce the temperature of the steam or vapor to about 140O AF., and the apparatus shown has been perfectly successujl in achieving this result.

In the illustrated apparatus the pipes 22 were'made of 1 inch steel tubing about 22 inches long. The superficial area of the pipe per inch of length was therefore --2 square inches and its interior volume somewhat under 0.3 cubic inch.

the' capacity, which made the tube very ef.- icient asa coolingfagent. Y Y

The temperature may be regulated if de-` sired by altering the rate yof passage of the steam through the pipes.

by Yregulating vthe valve 12, or lby closing some of the pipes 22 by plugs or otherwise.

I have round, however, that it is easyltoV Vde-1V sign thefapparatus'to produce substantially the temperature desire and that regulation is seldom necessary;

. Having described myv invention', what IA claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentvof the United States is :f Y

l. A shoe-softening apparatus comprising a treating receptacle formed to receive a pulled-over end of'ashoe, a steam rreceptacle having an inlet for steam arranged to beV submerged 1n the water of condensation, saidV steam receptacle being separated from said treating receptacle, and means arranged t-o conduct vapor from the upper part of said steam receptacle 'to Ysaidv treating receptacle.

2. In 'an apparatus of the class described,

YVa shoe treating chamber, a receptacle for Vwater separate from said chamber, means for conducting a heatingagent into the for Aconducting a, heating agent into the.

water, andv means`l for Vconducting vapor The superficial area was therefore large as compared-with This may be done the vapor therein. H

from they receptacle to the treating chamber,

characterized by a heat radiating surface which is large as compared i'vith the vapor-y conducting capacity or"l said conducting means. Y. i

l.' A shoe-treating a water-container, a steam-pipe arranged to emit steam in a body of water in said container Vto saturate the steam and to vaporize the water, a slice-treating device, and a. vapor conduit exposed to thev atmosphere and arranged. to conduct vapor from the water container-.to the slice-treating device, said means being arranged to Y drain Ythe liquid of condensationbackinto the water- 'container and to dissipate excessive heat of apparatus comprising V5. lArshoe-ti'eating apparatus comprising a water-container, a steam-pipe arranged toV emit steam in a body of water in said container to saturate Vthe steam and to vaporize` the water, ashoe-treating device separate from r said water-container, and a plurality Y ofl heatsradiating conduits arranged to conduct' vapor from the upper partof'said water-.container -to the shoe-treating .device and to drain the liquid Vof condensation away from `the latter.

6. vA shoe-treating apparatus Vcomprising a water-container, a steam-pipe arranged to emit steam in a body of water in saidcontainer to saturate the steam andto vaporize the water, ashoe-treating device, and' a pluralityfof conduits arranged to conduct va.-`

por at substantially Aatmospheric pressure from the upper part or said water-container' to the shoe-treating device, said conduits being exposed to the atmosphere so as to dissipate a Vconsiderabledegree of heat from shoe-treating apparatus comprising a water-container, a steam-pipe arranged to emit steam in abody of water in said container Y toV saturate` the steam and to vaporizeV the water, a shoe-treating device-separatey from andY above said water-container, and a conduit arranged l to Acondi'ictvapor Jfrom theV upper par'nofsaidI container tov said'treating device, said'conduit beingfexposed'to the atmospherefand arranged tol. drain water of condensationn back into the water-container. y o' '8; A shoe-treating Vapparatus comprising a waterfcontainer, a treating deviceseparate Y from and' arranged above .the water-container, a plurality ojpi-pesV extending side by side from the upper part of: said watercontainer. tof'the treating device to support the latter and to conduct vapor fromthe container to thejtreating device, the conltainerand the treatingdevice having sockets intoV which the pipe-ends are movable by simple endwise movementQmeans arranged to hold 'the water-container, the treating device and the pipes in assembled relation,

iaeV

and means for emitting a heating agent in a bod of water in the container.

9. he combination with a pipe for sup` plying steam having a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and having a temperature higher than the boiling temperature, of a shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating device, and lmeans arranged to conduct vapor trom said pipe to the treating device, said means having substantially greater conducting capacity than said pipe to reduce the pressure of the vapor to atmospheric pressure, and having relatively great heat-radiating area compared to the distance traversed by the vapor in flowing from said pipe to the treating device whereby the temperature of the vapor is reduced more rapidly While the vapor is passing therethrough than while passing through said pipe.

l0. A slice-treating apparatus comprising a treating device, vapor-conducting means connected to said device and arranged to drain the products of condensation away from said device and to accumulate such products into a compact body, said means having an opening to receive a steam-supply pipe at a point Where the steam emitted from such pipe may pass through the accumulated product of condensation before reaching the treating device.

l1. A shoe-softening apparatus comprising a steam supply pipe, a steam and water receptacle connected. to said pipe so as to receive steam from the latter and to Wet and cool such steam with Water of condensation, a pipe arranged to conduct vapor from the upper part of said receptacle, said )ipe being exposed to the atmosphere and iong enough to dissipate a substantial quantity of heat from the vapor owing therethrough, and means arranged to support a shoe in position to be softened by the vapor emitted from said vapor ipe.

In testimony whereof lphave signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK M. FURBER. 

